Noise permits, fireworks & closed roads Mysteryland is coming to town

WHITE LAKE, NY — A project manager for Mysteryland turned out to the Bethel town meeting on March 12, and asked the board for permission to close portions of two roads over Memorial Day weekend, when the Mysteryland event unfolds on the grounds of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

Brian Matke told the board his organization would like to close West Shore Road between Happy Avenue and Hurd Road, as well as a portion of the dead-end Best Road from 12 midnight on the morning of May 23 through 6 p.m. May 26.

The board said it would review the plan and vote on it at the meeting in April, and it seems likely that it will pass.

Also, the board agreed to provide a couple of noise permits and a fireworks permit. The permit for the fireworks spells out that the fireworks show scheduled for Saturday of the holiday weekend will occur at 1:50 a.m.

There were, however, conditions that came with the camping permit, which stipulated that there shall be no open-air music events that shall take place within 150 feet of any property line, and that any such event must be screened from houses on adjoining properties. Also, amplified music is allowed only between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m., and speakers must be faced toward the ground and away from neighbors.

Council member Lillian Hendrickson said these were the same parameters placed on the camping event at Yasgur Farm in August last year, and that event sparked no complaints from the public.

Supervisor Dan Sturm said that he was cautiously optimistic that the event could be a good way for the town to kick off the season. He said he had attended many meetings with agencies ranging from police to the New York State Board of Health and all were working to attract guests and tourists but also minimize impacts on the public.

He said, “I expect a successful, well-run event, in which we all work together and show that this town is really the place to be.”